00:00:01.050 - 00:00:29.530

Interview with Dr. Leslie Wright, August 31. Um Now this is gonna sound like a funny question, but Liz Wells, it's special special collections. She says you need to ask dr Wright, how he perceived Davis as an Alabama baptist because you were, you know, uh, just a

00:00:29.530 - 00:00:52.890

hallmark and the convention before you ever came to sand and I'm sure you had occasion to um see him operating within the convention. Not a great deal of anything if you have stories of any kind of recollection anything, because I'm trying to get a warmer side

00:00:52.900 - 00:01:30.200

to a master season by doing with Wayne Flynt yesterday. Major I think because he graduated after. Right, that's true. But did you, how did did he have to court the Alabama baptist with their good relationship? Well in mind to my knowledge, he had a very excellent

00:01:30.200 - 00:01:46.180

relationship. Of course, I knew that the creatures very well. I had spoken in many of the churches while I was with the Foundation and I knew the executive secretary quite well. But Major Davis did too. That was dr Hamilton's reed, who had been a pastor here

00:01:46.180 - 00:02:04.660

in Birmingham and South Avondale and had been the vice president at Howard College under Major Davis, mainly for fundraising activities with the baptist people. So, major worked with Dr Reid on that and he got to know quite a bit of a convention that way. Uh He

00:02:04.660 - 00:02:22.450

attended all the conventions that made an annual report to the convention and to the best of my knowledge, the preachers held him in high regard, surely did we have a special service during a convention shortly after I came honoring major Davis. Yes, surely did. And some

00:02:22.450 - 00:02:45.500

of the pastors over the state planned that and put it together. It was very good. It was in the Montgomery city Auditorium if you have trouble. Um I know I've heard of good many stories about coming to Howard and sort of the problems that exist. Right?

00:02:45.900 - 00:03:05.170

But how about when he was trying to get the support from the convention to move the school to actually yeah, put your money where your mouth is. Well, the big key that was dr Reid Major had a relationship with Dr Reed. Dr Reed was a convention

00:03:05.170 - 00:03:23.820

Executive Secretary Treasurer. And he's the man that actually in those days he ran the convention. Of course, they elected a president every two years. But dr Reid was a continuing person in the convention and he had a staff as as the executive secretary does now in

00:03:23.820 - 00:03:42.140

Montgomery. The office headquarters in and we went by yesterday reminded me the fact was 403 South Perry across the street from the first Baptist Church in Montgomery. Do you know that church? We remember there? And my office was right across the street. The baptist building was

00:03:42.140 - 00:04:05.510

right across that's where I can't move down there and came down from From Washington where we were living at the time. I left my position with the foundation in 1980 became the secretary of Senator Mr Hill. Oh you know, I have read about that in the

00:04:05.520 - 00:04:23.210

Alabama baptist, it's probably where, I don't know, I don't remember that right, when you came to the Foundation, you know, they would do articles and then they would list all of your background. I thought that was interesting because you and Major Davis have very similar backgrounds.

00:04:27.500 - 00:05:03.430

He was a prominent attorney in Alabama one time was attorney general of Alabama. He was in law partnership with a man who became no lieutenant governor of Alabama. Was that Clarence tender wasn't another partner right? In Gadsden Major I think he had the the dream of

00:05:03.430 - 00:05:26.170

a new campus perhaps before anyone else did because he realized the necessity for the conditions were crowded out on the Eastlake campus. Mm difficult time doing most anything because you didn't have enough room, you didn't have enough money. Of course that was inherited an inherited situation.

00:05:26.180 - 00:05:44.590

But when he came, I don't know whether Mr Crawford johnson, the coca cola man was chairman of the board at that time, I think he was. But shortly thereafter frank Sanford became chairman of the board. And Mr Sanford had a great influence with the convention because

00:05:44.590 - 00:06:05.660

he was a long time baptist. And mrs Davis Mrs Sanford was a long time that her mother was President Alabama WFMU. So you know, she was close to and he was a very prominent businessman. Mr frank stanford and I think between major Davis. Mr Sanford and

00:06:05.660 - 00:06:19.890

dr reid there the three key factors to putting together the new campus idea. Major had the idea of the dream really. He didn't know how it could be done and he couldn't sell the trustees on it because they didn't know where the money would come from.

00:06:19.890 - 00:06:41.330

But then Dr Reid said the convention would give annual support to the capital building program as well as operating money and they did that. In fact they hadn't been giving over $200,000 a year in any year before Major Davis began the building program. But Dr Reid

00:06:41.330 - 00:07:00.490

assured Major Davis that he would have the support of the convention. And then Major Davis took Mr Sanford down to talk to Dr Reid Dr Reid assured Major Mr Sanford that the convention would be behind. So that's the way they the effort began. And first they

00:07:00.500 - 00:07:29.380

bought the property over on lake shore and then they put some streets and gutters in before they had any buildings. Well no I think that. No no no no no wasn't even born then began in construction began in 54 54 right lane. He was 1 52

00:07:29.770 - 00:07:53.460

and dad would have been off getting his masters and everything so it doesn't seem like a long time. Well I guess it's all relative. Huh? I can't believe you're 80 years old. You want in january. Well you were doing marvel 95 and he said he came

00:07:53.470 - 00:08:17.140

from a family of long long livers. Yeah, I guess so. My wife does. Her mother died at 95. That's great. You're still So I mean just in hearing people say what you're involved in. And daddy telling me a little bit about what you're doing now. You

00:08:17.140 - 00:08:44.530

are. I cannot imagine. You know, I think when dad wants to retire he wants to retire to the lounge. You can't do that. That's my mother won't let him do that. An exercise program over at the hospital three days a week. And regular exercise equipment, weights

00:08:44.530 - 00:09:06.120

and bicycles and treadmills and rowing machines have everything over here. Building this side of the hospital cardiovascular center. I think I know which one you're talking about building a new building in between. Right? But this one is completed in several doctors in the upper floors. But

00:09:06.120 - 00:09:27.220

the ground floor is cardiovascular, have a swimming pool. And I hurt my back. And they sent me there for summer Under the I had heart surgery in 89. I had five put in a valve a new valve in my heart. So they put me on that

00:09:27.230 - 00:09:42.650

program as soon as I was able to begin it and I stayed on in about six months and then I stopped and I found out I needed to do something. So I began walking. But you don't walk unless somebody makes you walk up to you to

00:09:44.010 - 00:10:08.140

go around the place here about two times is a couple of miles that didn't work. So I went back to the exercise program and my husband won't exercise with me. He's a fireman. He gets his heart beating with bells ring and he had to get up

00:10:08.150 - 00:10:25.170

blood pressure But he still needs to. And it would help me if he would go with me. But I we live out in the country and I don't have anybody. So I just have to make myself, but we live in jamison actually right between jamison and

00:10:25.170 - 00:10:46.120

source off 31. And have you seen the big peach water tower? We just thought today for the first time. I saw it yesterday. I didn't recognize what it was. Really. I wasn't sure. I asked do you think people can see it from the highway but they

00:10:46.130 - 00:11:04.135

don't get a glimpse of Yeah, it's amazing because we thought real up close it's really neat. But you know, he grew up down there and so we have a little house we'd like to get closer in because he works in investment. So it's a good little

00:11:04.145 - 00:11:23.985

chat. But anyway, well I don't want to take up a lot of your time. I just, I talked to Evan Zeiger the other day. He told me, he said, well he just worships you. Well he said, I put I put those two and in the same

00:11:23.985 - 00:11:50.400

sack on the same coastal and he said you need to do a biography of Leslie Wright. And I said, let me finish this. But he really thinks highly of you. Well what I guess really the biggest aid you could give me with the your view of

00:11:50.410 - 00:12:10.470

Davis Chancellor because really no one I have interviewed had a relationship with him much in that respect. And I just really want to cover that because I think that he he was transferred for so many years and I can't just end the biography when he resigned

00:12:10.470 - 00:12:38.250

as president. I came in April 158 President president september From Montgomery and we moved up here. My wife and boys didn't move until after September well we had an apartment over on the house where the first churches and I thought that was the president's home. We

00:12:38.250 - 00:12:59.410

lived there about 12 years. Dear Lady mrs Bush, Morris Bush gave us her home on old leaves Road to be used as president. We lived there the other 13 years I was it was a marvelous home friend. And of course we had the university help to

00:12:59.410 - 00:13:22.010

keep it up, keep it up. But major was He continued on his great interest in in the school. Of course we changed the name after I came in 65. He was all in favor of that. Not all the convention people were some of the alumni didn't

00:13:22.010 - 00:13:41.250

like the idea of changing the name from old Howard College. You know, they called it hard in college. I just don't like change. You know, many people change. That was the main reason I think. And then they wondered whether we should name it after living individual

00:13:41.250 - 00:14:02.580

or not. But they were just looking at reasons to be against it, to find a struggle in the convention to rename the convention was very close. Doctor Jr White was pastor of first Church Montgomery president of convention that year he was presiding and of course he

00:14:02.580 - 00:14:20.920

was very helpful and dr Reid was very helpful. He was all for it to Sanford in high regard and Major Davis was all for it and wrote some letters supporting it. Dr Bagley who was To succeed Dr. Reid as executive secretary was all for and he

00:14:20.920 - 00:14:37.740

wrote some letters in support of it. So with all that help we finally got it through I think. So it's not a lot to us a lot. He helped us with people, he knew Mr Sanford in raising funds. A man that started out with him in

00:14:37.740 - 00:15:04.300

business at Liberty National gives about $300,000 key in helping with the well both of them used to work for him work for Liberty night. Ralph was secretary of the company when he was when he volunteered for service in the army and White was a district manager

00:15:04.310 - 00:15:31.510

in Cullman Alabama. Both men and and Mr Ralph Gleason's wife passed away shortly after he did. But Lucille Beeson is still living and contributing to the money for the a nursing school building and also for the new law Library edition, I think that's been published. But

00:15:31.510 - 00:15:51.940

she told me, and they were all very dear friends of mine, of course they were close to liberty national and we used to have birthday parties together, ralph birthday and uh my daughter in law Libby's birthday, right toes in october and we used to have birthday

00:15:51.940 - 00:16:08.090

parties for them and some others over the Mountain Book Club. Yeah. And we'd go to lunch frequently and dinner frequently. He had a christmas party up at his house uh every year and he'd invite all his friends in the community and a great many of them

00:16:08.770 - 00:16:30.850

and we enjoyed those that we got to know them quite well back in the early years. But the main major Davis was well known throughout the state with the business community and the legal community and they're respected. Helen high regard by the pastors in the state.

00:16:30.860 - 00:16:50.190

He speaks to convention as I indicated each year and evangelism conference and other meetings like that. But it didn't have as many opportunities as I had to be with the creatures, you know, traveling over the state as I did. I traveled for four years with the

00:16:50.200 - 00:17:13.100

foundation And for about four years with Senator Hill. He moved his office to Montgomery when Congress a journey, which they seldom do now, but when they did, he moved to Montgomery that was the headquarters and we traveled out of there quite a bit. So it was

00:17:13.100 - 00:17:33.700

interesting to get to know the state that well, then I went from, well I went to to Senator Hill from the Treasury Department about working with bond program, travel estate in that capacity. So I knew all the bankers and businessmen and got to know a lot

00:17:33.700 - 00:17:51.900

of the creatures in that way about having over the entire state that we want to talk about major. Well, I'm wondering, are you a native and my dad was a pastor. He was an injury baptist church when Angele was a thriving community in the steel mills,

00:17:52.800 - 00:18:18.230

he came there in 1910 from North Carolina, but he was in Kentucky. So he, after he'd been here until 1919 in church in Louisville, invited him to come there to be pastor and he was a trustee in Georgetown where your dad went to school? Yes, sir,

00:18:20.250 - 00:18:51.840

that's great. Of course. He always wanted to get back to Kentucky. His mother and dad and his brothers were there. We moved when I was six or 7 and but I was born here and she grew up in Birmingham. The cardinals. Right. In fact, they just

00:18:51.850 - 00:19:23.000

got, didn't, isn't that where the Alabama coach went? Uh, you know who I'm thinking of the, one of the former Alabama assistant coaches. They, they love lane Lane. My brother was born there so dr anyway. Well what, what kind of part Mr Zeigler said that you

00:19:23.010 - 00:19:58.450

really had a sense of utilizing major realizing, you know, that that would be important. And I'm just sort of thinking of highlights of what he got to participate in to participate in everything. Everybody pretty much gave him. I had a birthday party for him two or

00:19:58.450 - 00:20:27.600

three times. I think the students had one birthday party for he was a very popular man, college faculty and staff and constituents over the state high regard. I came actually in April of 58 as president elect And then the, with the knowledge that he was going

00:20:27.610 - 00:20:44.550

to retire September one, I would become president. So I've worked with him and met with him many times in his office during that period and learn as much as I could about the institution, you know, and it was very helpful to me to do that. I

00:20:44.560 - 00:21:06.450

bet he was interesting. He was very helpful in sharing information with me. I went to convention meetings with him in that first year, the committee that considers the convention budget. It's important one college presidents, you know, because they decide how the money is going to be

00:21:06.460 - 00:21:29.020

decided. So we had some difficulties in that regard later on. But back then, this was already committed under dr Reeves leadership for five years. The first one was 54-59 and then that was still in effect when I came and that was 200,000 a year for operating

00:21:29.030 - 00:21:51.970

money, $400,000 a year for buildings. And that continued for the first five years and the second five years and then see the second five years would have been up in uh 64 and Dr Reid was still executive secretary. So I think he knew the need was

00:21:51.980 - 00:22:08.360

there for more money for buildings and we raised money in the community. We're very successful in that regard. And I took part in all the community activities because I knew I'd be calling on them for help. So I met a lot of people that way and

00:22:08.370 - 00:22:30.500

got to know them very helpful. And I know Major did the same thing. Of course they didn't have any big fundraising drives. I think mainly dependent on the convention and the churches for assistance but had six buildings completed when I came and the money now the

00:22:30.500 - 00:22:51.880

music building was under construction and we finished it while I was president of Major started, you were left with still a huge task, you carried it even further than they had originally planned. You know, we had an original master plan. I doubt if you ever saw

00:22:51.880 - 00:23:10.980

it, but it was kept for many years over in what is now the cafeteria. But in the old cafeteria, which you wouldn't remember. It was the back part of what became the back part of what it was all there was the red and blue. Yeah, that

00:23:10.980 - 00:23:26.510

was the dining room. Right. I never knew it was the dining room, but I knew that it was the dining room down the hallway, there was a hallway which isn't there anymore because the dining room joins. That was a long hallway going from what is the

00:23:26.520 - 00:23:44.600

red and blue hounds back to the stairway. In the back of that was a little lobby and in that lobby was layout of the entire campus which the architects prepared, which is an exact duplicate of the campus from an aerial view, buildings and trees and everything

00:23:44.600 - 00:24:02.470

on it. The buildings right where they are now when uh, we used it for a long time. Then they put it down in the basement in the library. I don't remember whether that there was a room right at the where you went down the foot of

00:24:02.470 - 00:24:20.960

the steps to the first basement level and there were some classes meeting in their time to time. But this model was in the back of that room for many years after we took it out of the students. But y'all didn't keep to the model. The model

00:24:20.960 - 00:24:41.680

religiously. We didn't name all the buildings what they were called on the model but we put the chapel up first building after I came big interest in the convention and having a chapel. So matter of fact the convention to the churches contributed to the chapel, individual

00:24:41.680 - 00:25:08.880

churches and get that underway. Then we needed some more residence hall for men as it was called then I think they changed those for men to women that terrible. I think bail hall is still man still women. But smith is men. I can't stand what they've

00:25:08.890 - 00:25:38.860

done. They're remodeling that for the, I'm gonna put a chapel in that open area behind the johnson. Well, they need more space. Changes. What was there? I don't like changes like the baptist I don't like but you know, I mean I just, it was original to

00:25:38.870 - 00:26:12.280

the campus and you just hate to see something like that torn down. And it was not as alums. Mother was a fine. You but not at Sanford but anyway. Well what what kind of role did you allow? Major in the Cumberland? Because I am really, I

00:26:12.280 - 00:26:29.590

hope that you can yeah, orchestrate all the different facts. I don't have them down straight as an attorney. Of course. He was deeply interested in the possibility that we might acquire a law school. So he gave it his full support. Of course. The trustees were all

00:26:29.600 - 00:26:48.720

for it because the number of attorneys were serving on the board and the law school is one professional school that really doesn't cost the university beyond the faculty expense and staff expense, like a medical school put you in bankruptcy in a hurry or engineering because it

00:26:48.730 - 00:27:09.310

requires so much laboratory facilities. But law you see is, well, that's one reason we were able to do it of course. And then we made several trips up to living in Tennessee where the school had been located, but a man who had been at Howard and

00:27:09.310 - 00:27:34.080

graduated from Howard when major Davis was president. Arthur weeks was the dean of the law school at 11 and Tennessee Law school was up. There was no, no he left I think about 1950 perhaps when someone else came as dean. But under his leadership, the school

00:27:34.080 - 00:27:54.180

was accredited by the American Bar Association And recognized by the Association of American law schools and brought that with them when they came here. Actually, they didn't move until 1961 and I learned about the availability of the Law school Southern Association of Colleges and Schools had

00:27:54.190 - 00:28:17.360

told Cumberland College, I told Cumberland Law School it had moved from a junior college, which is what Cumberland University had become by them. It's totally unheard of to have a law school graduate school attached to a junior college. So the american Bar association said they would

00:28:17.360 - 00:28:37.060

lose their accreditation unless they moved to a university campus. And Vanderbilt and Memphis was interested in acquiring the law school and Chattanooga was interested. All of, all of them were bidding for it in one way or another. I think Vanderbilt was mainly interested in the library

00:28:37.070 - 00:28:55.280

because they had a law school. So Arthur weeks discussed it with me and told me that there's a possibility we could go up there and make a proposition and be accepted. So I discussed it with the trustees and they were all for it. So judge grooms

00:28:55.280 - 00:29:13.350

and memory Robinson who was chairman of our executive committee and the law building his name for him. He died instructing well he died before it was completed but it's a fine attorney, big law firm. So he made one trip, one or two trips up there with

00:29:13.350 - 00:29:33.530

me and with Dean weeks who later became our dean here because he knew all about the school in his history. So I thought it would help by having someone who knew all of that be the first dean here. But we it was suggestions from trustees. They

00:29:33.530 - 00:29:51.360

wanted to conduct a search and we conducted a search but I felt like we eventually come back to Martha weeks because he loved law school and Sanford graduate Howard graduate. So it was a natural thing for him to do so judge grooms and memory. Robinson and

00:29:51.360 - 00:30:08.970

I and then weeks went with us once or twice and then bob smith who is a managing partner of Mr Robinson's former law firm. We went up and met with them, we went up and on the train I think bob smith and I went up to

00:30:08.980 - 00:30:28.370

that last to go. But we had already Consummated the proposition that we offered them an amount of money for the law school name and the library and they had these great big old timey pictures of all the faculty members up in the attic and we they

00:30:28.380 - 00:30:44.150

get through those end of the bargain. So we required them and we kept them up in the attic of the law school and all over the library is where we had a big attic. It nothing up there and then and we had one also in physical

00:30:44.150 - 00:31:06.260

science building. I lost. Yeah before we can do that huge restored all these pictures got moved around and finally someone came up with the idea of reducing them and taking a picture and reducing it and making the book showing all of the students classes, graduates and

00:31:06.270 - 00:31:26.480

faculty and the president's administrative staff. So we did that in that book still available in the law library. I'd love to see that it's interesting to see all those old pictures of course they're all that hair all over their faces. You know, professors That was back

00:31:26.480 - 00:31:53.840

in 1800s of schools found in 18 41 I believe the same year that was in Marian Cumberland was started in Lebanon. Later acquired by the Tennessee, Baptist Convention required required Cumberland University because it was a baptist school to begin with in Tennessee. But the baptist didn't

00:31:53.840 - 00:32:16.860

support it. There was not enough business in in Lebanon to support it. So they sold it to the baptist convention of Tennessee. So Tennessee would convince and had its hands full and had a small college already up there. And so they didn't, they didn't finance it

00:32:16.860 - 00:32:39.190

very well. So finally fell on hard times and that's been southern american american Bar Association, crediting people told them they had to move or lose their accreditation. So a very opportune time to come into the picture and we were able to sell it to the convention

00:32:39.200 - 00:33:01.260

Dr reed helped us do that. He sent me a telegram right after an indication that we could do it, stating on behalf of the convention how great it was. One of their institutions could acquire law school though they had all kind of famous alumni cordell and

00:33:01.260 - 00:33:34.340

many members served in Congress from various states and the student body came from all over the United States. So it was a prominent, prominent you made me think of something, oh, I know Dr Reed was just a great asset. If he had stayed there, everything would

00:33:34.340 - 00:33:51.550

have been fine. Of course he got older and and had to be I had to retire and be succeeded by younger people who didn't know all of that history and then hold it in such high regard we had. But he was a great friend and a

00:33:51.560 - 00:34:09.290

great supporter and a great friend of major Davis back Major when I was with the Foundation, when I came with the Foundation from Mr Hill, he had a meeting with DR Reid and uh to object to my coming and going out over the state raising money

00:34:10.080 - 00:34:33.790

but Dr Reid and all of us assured him I was not going to leave out Howard College. Oh how fun, but he didn't want any competition I guess he was just doing his job, you know, Mr Zeigler told me a story about I don't know if

00:34:33.790 - 00:34:56.120

you and I'm sure you knew about this, but that when Mr Burton john Burton when there was the authentication. Yes sir, that's been another hard thing to decide for, you know, Wayne Flynt is not gonna let me just paint a one sided picture. And there weren't

00:34:56.120 - 00:35:19.350

a lot of controversy um under major Davis. But there were some but anyway, I was asking Mr Zeiger since he succeeded Mr Burton if he knew what happened because I interviewed Mr Burton several years ago before he passed away and you know, I couldn't just use

00:35:19.360 - 00:35:35.320

his side of it because that in itself would be by So I was looking for and I've had people but to help me, but they haven't really given me a conclusive statement like this is really what happened. But Mr Zeiger in talking about that, he said,

00:35:35.320 - 00:35:54.240

well major in the group, I think Dean Center came down to Montgomery to talk to Dr Reid and they he said that they wanted you as business manager and that Dr Reid said why don't you all think about him for something else and of course that

00:35:54.240 - 00:36:16.560

was the presidency and that that took and so then he suggested Mr Zeiger and they said, well we never thought about him, isn't that he was with the training church training program under dr even he was down there the same time, I was with the Foundation,

00:36:16.950 - 00:36:32.960

I knew him quite well and Major brought him up or whoever brought him his business manager, they had their eye on you. I'm sure you knew that, but I didn't know that much about it. But then Dr Reid said let's hold him back for something bigger

00:36:32.960 - 00:36:59.290

and better. But I got to know him quite well when I was a Foundation and as I say, I spoke every chance they gave me to speak about the Foundation, any church, any time major was just afraid of the competition, competition that wasn't excluding the college

00:36:59.290 - 00:37:30.810

and anything really for the whole right, So it wouldn't have excluded. Well, were you familiar with, you were still with him, Foundation, I guess when the psychology department all that problem in 54 with Dr john Hall jones, I came with the Foundation in 54. So you're

00:37:30.810 - 00:37:58.710

not really familiar with. I just knew familiar state later that there had been some sort of controversy and I knew dr jones. Oh, did you? Well, I just thought, I wasn't sure when I was a baptist. Well, you know, I have heard so many stories and

00:37:58.710 - 00:38:22.160

here again, it's not conclusive, but I have found um some articles editorial by Major Davis and then Birmingham news articles in that that interviewed Doug jones. So I've kind of got two sides of the story, but neither one, you know, I don't have a third party

00:38:22.160 - 00:38:42.760

to really substantiate anything. So I'm just gonna have to present both cases. Sure I can't and I mean I just hate, I don't want to be objective, I want to be by, but you have to be but unfortunately Major didn't get into a lot of trouble.

00:38:42.770 - 00:39:14.900

So I can he was a fine man and I don't know how frequently he spoke because I'm not familiar with his speaking schedule, but I don't know about that speaking. Somebody told me he wasn't the greatest speaker in the world, but I'm not that type. I

00:39:14.910 - 00:39:34.820

was very anxious to go speak to people and tell them all about first Foundation and then that's great. You had opportunities as president to do a lot of speaking because you well, I I don't really know a lot about your presidency if I ever do biography,

00:39:34.830 - 00:40:01.360

I'm sure I'll find out. But you had a really, I mean the era when you were president was so different from the era in Major. It's amazing. Money was not plentiful anywhere, but they had a joint campaign one year when he was here with one of

00:40:01.360 - 00:40:19.520

the foundations, I think may have been Rockefeller Foundation uh gave some money if the two colleges Birmingham Southern and Howard College between them could raise a certain amount of money. This was all before I came, but I learned about it later and they did and had

00:40:19.520 - 00:40:40.410

a handsome gift from the foundation that was divided between the colleges and they. The only competition we had of course in raising money was was with every charitable organization in the areas and they'd all gotten out whether and with the university of Alabama Birmingham they were

00:40:40.410 - 00:40:59.470

raised and the university of Alabama tuscaloosa all raising private money just as fast as they could see frank Rose came to Alabama's president from Transylvania College at Lexington, which is a religious college and he didn't know anything else but to raise money. So began immediately for

00:40:59.470 - 00:41:33.560

Alabama. He had a lot of Alabama alumni in Birmingham Birmingham Southern was raising money all the time. A lot of different presidents. President you have had the longest presidency is 19 years and I was 25. He served until he was 75. I can't believe you. But

00:41:33.560 - 00:41:58.280

then you have another career going now. Yeah. From what dad's telling me about all the rotary and everything. That's just 85, which is three years after I retired, I had been a director of rotary International from 82 to 84 served on the board international board of

00:41:58.290 - 00:42:19.780

directors and I got to know the people very well and the staff and in 1985 they began a program called polio plus program And the goal was to raise $120 million dollars worldwide to buy vaccine to give to the developing countries wherever that they would agree

00:42:19.780 - 00:42:46.490

to have a national immunization day every year. And of course the developing countries seized on that immediately. And I think in grants rotary has made 100 and 190 million in grants to all the developing countries. And now china's coming into the picture and they're asking for

00:42:46.490 - 00:43:09.830

help. Of course the World Health Organization and UNICEF work have been working on it all along. And we were the first private rotary was first private organization to become involved in the United Nations has recognized rotary for being involved in this. So they asked me to

00:43:09.830 - 00:43:30.890

be chairman. The international chairman. That is amazing. Did you have to do a lot of traveling, Did a lot of traveling but not too much outside the country. We had a a couple of million in, in, in evanston Illinois, which is our international headquarters. They did

00:43:30.890 - 00:43:58.050

most of the out of country tracking worldwide. We had At 55 National International Chairman. See some smaller countries didn't need their own chairman, Every country in europe. They're so jealous of one another. They had their own chairman. Okay, of course. We had a chairman for Japan

00:43:58.220 - 00:44:21.130

and then in, in africa, several of the country's spoke the same language. We group them back languages in Africa, India was one chairman and and we had an international committee had a man from great Britain and a man from, from south America and a man from

00:44:21.130 - 00:44:47.520

the United States and would I say South America brazil. That man from Australia. It was a separate committee. We had seven men on the international committee County myself and asked me to serve as chairman, rotary foundation trustees and the board of directors. They do. I had

00:44:47.520 - 00:45:22.420

little experience racing A few dollars. So we raised believe total was 250 million Less than five years. Yeah, It's a feather in your hat. One that's wonderful. Most men don't get to enjoy that kind of experience straight. Yeah, Well, let's get back to the major. Well,

00:45:22.430 - 00:45:49.400

I really, you know, just wanted to know about the Chancellor years and that he enjoyed that. He did. He go up to his home in north Carolina, leave in june and come back he falls, I think north Carolina. Well, it says you go across from Bill.

00:45:50.320 - 00:46:13.860

I guess it's up in the vicinity. Put it that way. Okay, I have to go back to my atlas and look it up. Let's see. Asheville is the beginning of the, the Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway. But from Nashville to go across, he's in between Asheville and

00:46:13.870 - 00:48:38.330

the next place over there and go through the Cherokee indian reservation. I don't know where bryson city is. It's not too far from the southern baptist assembly. Bryson city is where my father in law goes for the Gospel singing every year. Okay, take your time. That's

00:48:38.340 - 00:49:05.370

fine. My mother can't ever remember when it's time to take her medication. Well, tell me about it. I'm nearing the right old age of 30 and I have to take anti inflammatory and I've inherited my mother's bad back. Daddy had a, what do you call that?

00:49:05.370 - 00:49:25.890

A ruptured disc painting forever. You were saying how major would go up to Linville Falls and every summer he loved to go to linville Falls. And of course after he got up in years, we had one of the men over the shop, drive the car and

00:49:27.620 - 00:49:46.910

and he loved, he had a home house up there. Don't have what it was like. I didn't see it major. I think Evan had seen it, but I think he drove him up there. He also was helped move the college, you know from the old campus

00:49:46.920 - 00:50:09.380

to the new place. Evans I think he was a major domo in that movie. I didn't know that he was with the school at the time. Well I was gonna bring a piece of gum because mine does the same thing. I have like cotton in my

00:50:09.380 - 00:50:29.970

mouth. You know that mother just tells me, don't you gone and I'm on but well you have to do something in my mouth and I try to be in church. I try to be discreet, but if not you're sitting there for an hour and during the

00:50:29.970 - 00:50:52.040

night I have to drink water all during the night. But he maintained that home up there I guess until he died. I don't remember I don't know that he died at home I guess Evan. And our last train not family members to see him visited him

00:50:52.050 - 00:51:16.760

several times in the last time he shared all his thoughts with us. The main thing was not to change the direction of the school and I had no idea things like that. Anyway my dad was a baptist preacher all the way and when he was concerned

00:51:16.760 - 00:51:35.160

that something would happen to do that but he was just a fine man. I enjoyed all my associations with him and I paid him every respect I could at public functions. Always recognized him. Give him a credit for having a dream of moving to a new

00:51:35.160 - 00:52:04.980

location as he deserved. Of course I mean Mr Sanford and dr Reid couldn't have happened without especially with Doctor Mr Sanford. Dr Sanford too played the game doctor he had influence in the business community that still need to raise money in the business. As a matter

00:52:04.980 - 00:52:26.610

of fact in oh somewhere we started a campaign I think about the time Birmingham Southern got a grant from some foundation of matching brand. They had to raise Something like $2 million Ford Foundation at the same time we were getting more than that from the convention.

00:52:26.620 - 00:52:56.690

So I used that as a a way to. So so what Sam was doing through its spanish constituency without help from an outside Foundation. We've got some help too. No school gets the kind of help we got from the convention all $5 million Daddy hadn't. That's

00:52:57.480 - 00:53:23.480

wonderful. Well, I know that now the faculty is not, it's different. It's not the old loyal guard. It kind of disappoints me. And fortunately, I still, when I was in school I had some of those old guard like sam Mitchell and you know, I never had

00:53:23.480 - 00:53:44.940

dr but I know him of course growing up, lee atkins were, you know, and and I just regret that it's losing some of that. You can't be all things to all people. You can't I mean, it's not staying the small school with that type of faculty,

00:53:44.950 - 00:54:09.810

but I'm glad that it was like that when I was there and when dad, I consider dad one of the old very loyal. He loves that school. Well, dr wright, you have helped me. I have asked you all my questions. I've enjoyed it so much. You

00:54:09.810 - 00:54:28.040

know, I don't feel like I really had as an adult got into. But I tell you dr flint is ready for me to start writing. He's like finish up this research. So I'm just keep, you know, he's a writer. So he he's a very good writer

00:54:28.780 - 00:54:51.520

and I told my parents that proves that I know it's ok, hmm, I, you know, I I've read part of it and I think I've read the whole thing a long time ago. I can't remember. I'm almost positive that I've been rereading it. But we had

00:54:51.520 - 00:55:10.990

a big autograph party. Where was that? Basically the downstairs part of the heart center. Oh, I don't know how many copies of people, lots of friends other than college friends in addition to the college friends who came to get copies of the book and have him

00:55:10.990 - 00:55:33.290

autograph. That was great. I mean, I just really have enjoyed doing this paper because it's given me even a closer time to the history of the school and just thank you. And and I tell you, I appreciate you letting me come over here.